Work in Progress Merchant's Workshop

[Merchant Man]

|:| Almuqddasayn, Followers of the Sacred Two |:|​

Out of Character Information

• Objective: To introduce a dualistic faith that challenges traditional good vs. evil tropes, providing a complex moral framework for characters within the Sultanate of Masyrpt.
• Category: Organized Religion
• Image Credit: Artstation - City Image,
• Development Thread: Not Applicable
• Permissions: Not Applicable

General Information

• Name: Almuqddasayn (The Sacred Symmetry)
• Classification: Ditheistic Equilibrism
• Affiliation: The Sultanate of Masyrpt (emerging state religion).
• Description:

Almuqddasayn is the faith of "The Level Scale." It posits that the universe is not a battleground between light and dark, but a vast, indifferent machine that requires both forces in perfect counterpoise to function. To find peace, a soul must become a flawless mirror of the world's duality, neither elevated by unchecked goodness nor weighed down by unbridled malice. Imbalance is the only true sin; the soul that tilts too far in either direction is doomed to eternal dissonance.

Overview

• Influence:

Rapidly spreading across the urban centers of Masyrpt, particularly among the merchant class and the military who find the Old Traditions of Shahid wrong in its interpretation of tolerance of other faiths, and reject the idea that the Shahid Kings are meant to inherit the world to turn it into a paradise. These pragmatic groups see Shahid's doctrines as dangerously naïve, its tolerance invites foreign influence and weakness, while its messianic vision of a global paradise under the Shahid Kings feels like an unattainable fantasy amid the harsh realities of caravan raids, border conflicts, and cutthroat commerce.

• Membership:

Joining requires a public "First Weighing" before a Weight-Bearer priest. The aspirant presents a sealed ledger of seven days' deeds, three acts of light and three of shadow then swears the Oath of the Level Scale: "I shall neither rise above the world nor sink beneath it; I shall be its mirror." Once accepted, members receive a personal Scale Amulet (a small brass balance with one gilded pan and one obsidian pan) that they must wear visibly. Expectations are strict but pragmatic: daily balance is mandatory.

Members must maintain a private ledger recording every deed and its spiritual weight. Failure to correct an imbalance within one lunar cycle results in public shaming or temporary excommunication. Player Characters or Annals-submitted NPCs may be listed here or linked in a separate roster.

• Hierarchy:

The Seven Hakams: Seven leaders (one for each day of the week) who oversee the Great Scales in the capital's Grand Temple of Equilibrium. They interpret doctrine, settle theological disputes, and perform the annual Soul Census of the realm.

The Mizan Shaykhs: Ordained priests who serve as confessors, auditors, and enforcers. They maintain public weighing stations in every city square and are authorized to levy spiritual penalties (mandatory balancing rituals).

The Muwazinin: The common faithful striving for balance. Many form lay brotherhoods or sisterhoods called Mirror Circles for mutual accountability.

• Holdings:

The Grand Temple of Equilibrium in the capital. Smaller Temples of the Level Scale in every major city, plus roadside shrines along trade routes where travelers may perform emergency balancing rites. The Order also controls several "Shadow Gardens", walled estates where forbidden or illicit acts are ritually performed under priestly supervision to restore balance.

• Resources:

Vast tithes collected in the form of balance taxes (merchants pay equal portions of profit in gold and in contraband). Sacred artifacts include the original Scales of the First Splitting (said to have weighed the One Soul) and the Obsidian Eye Reliquary containing a fragment of Sannoyom's essence. The faith maintains a small but elite order of Tethered Blades, mercenary enforcers who serve the High Arbiters and are rumored to carry out sanctioned balancing assassinations.

• Doctrines:

The Path of the Level Scale. The core belief is that a soul too light is as hollow as a soul too dark. Mercy must be paid for with cruelty; charity must be balanced by theft. One does not seek to be good, but to be complete.

• Practices:

The Evening Recount: A daily prayer where followers list their deeds of light and shadow, planning the next day to correct any tilt in their soul's balance.
The Rite of the Counter-Weight: If a follower commits a great act of Good (favoring Biashakum), they must immediately perform a Terrible act (favoring Sannoyom) to prevent their soul from becoming buoyant and drifting away from Gnoma.

• Traditions:

Festival of the First Splitting (celebrated on the spring equinox): A week-long carnival in which citizens publicly perform matched pairs of deeds, building a house one day, burning an abandoned one the next. Massive public scales are erected in city squares; citizens dance and confess until both pans rest perfectly level at midnight.

Day of the Hollow Scales (autumnal equinox): A somber fast in which all temples are emptied and the faithful wander the streets as anonymous vengeful spirits, wearing blank white masks. They are forbidden to speak or act; the day reminds the living of the fate that awaits the unbalanced.

The Weighing of the Dead: When a follower dies, their ledger is read aloud at the Arch of Ameba while their body is placed on the great limestone scales. If balanced, the corpse is cremated and the ashes scattered toward Gnoma. If tilted, the body is left unburied to wander as a Dissonant spirit until natural decay restores equilibrium.

• Pantheon:

Biashakum ( The Gilded Hand ) : The deity of growth, healing, truth, and sacrifice. He represents the "Light Weight."
Sannoyom ( The Obsidian Eye ): The deity of decay, ruin, deceit, and ego. He represents the "Heavy Weight."

• Mythology:

In the beginning, there was only the One Soul, but it was paralyzed by its own perfection. It split itself into Biashakum and Sannoyom so that the world could move. Gnoma, the Eternal City, is the only place where the two halves meet again. Only those who carry the weight of both can pass through its gates; the rest are "Dissonant" and cannot find the door.

• Holy Sites:

The Arch of Ameba:

a massive limestone gate in the heart of the Sultanate where the souls of the dead are believed to be weighed.​

The Twin Spires:

Twin obsidian-and-gold towers on the northern cliffs where the Seven Hakams meditate in total sensory deprivation to hear the voice of the divided One Soul.​

Further Information

Almuqddasayn emerged roughly eighty years ago during the Great Caravan Wars, when merchant-princes and military commanders of Masyrpt grew disillusioned with the Old Traditions of Shahid. They viewed Shahid's teachings as fatally flawed in its lenient tolerance of rival faithsm, seeing it as an invitation for outsiders to erode Masyrpt's sovereigntyand dismissed the doctrine that the Shahidi Kings were destined to conquer and transform the entire world into a paradise as an unrealistic and burdensome fantasy.

In its place, a visionary merchant-priest known only as the First Hakam claimed to have received a vision of the One Soul splitting and began preaching in the bazaars that true strength lay in mastery of both halves of existence, without the need for utopian conquest or indiscriminate acceptance of foreign beliefs. Within two generations the faith had toppled Shadid's dominance in the cities, though desert nomads and rural villages still cling to the older traditions, viewing Almuqddasayn as a pragmatic yet dangerous heresy that excuses calculated vice in the name of balance.

Relations with neighboring cultures remain tense. Theocratic realms to the east denounce the faith as moral nihilism that rejects any path to paradise, while pragmatic trading partners secretly admire its flexibility and its refusal to waste resources on forced conversions or grand utopian campaigns.

Internally, the Sultanate's court is now divided between Gilded and Obsidian factions, each pushing policies that favor one deity while secretly commissioning balancing atrocities to maintain the realm's collective equilibrium. The Seven Hakams quietly prophesy that when the entire Sultanate achieves perfect symmetry, Gnoma will descend from the heavens and the world itself will achieve final, terrifying balance. Whether this is salvation or apocalypse remains the subject of furious theological debate.

--- The Potent Three ---​

Out of Character Information

• Objective: To introduce The Potent Three as a cynical pagan faith practiced primarily among the nobility of certain Hysperian city-states and petty kingdoms, offering a nihilistic justification for self-serving rule, exploitation of the peasantry, and endless cycles of conquest and decline.
• Category: Organized Religion (Pagan)
• Image Credit: Flow Image Creator
• Development Thread: Not Applicable
• Permissions: Not Applicable

General Information

• Name: The Potent Three
• Classification: Polytheistic Paganism (Ditheistic offshoot with triadic focus)
• Affiliation:

Primarily the nobility and ruling classes of fragmented Hysperian city-states and petty kingdoms in central and western Hysperia; occasionally adopted by ambitious warlords and merchant-princes who reject the more common faiths within the Continent of Eroba.

• Description:

The Potent Three is a fatalistic pagan religion that venerates three exiled aspects of the high god Theo, Irae (Wrath), Avaritia (Greed), and Acedia (Sloth). It teaches that all kingdoms inevitably follow a doomed cycle: expansion through war, enrichment through ruthless taxation, and ultimate collapse through indolence. The faithful, especially the nobility, embrace this nihilism as license to seize pleasure and privilege in the present, viewing commoners as resources to be exploited rather than souls to be uplifted.

Overview

• Influence:

Localized but growing among the decadent aristocracy of post-Shahidic and post-Priman Hysperia. It appeals to rulers disillusioned by failed utopian promises of the Curia, Theosan religions and the rigid moral codes of Shahid. The faith is strongest in wealthy but unstable city-states where noble houses openly flaunt their pursuit of personal glory and wealth.

• Membership:

Initiation usually occurs through a private Feast of Acceptance hosted by a noble patron, during which the aspirant offers a tribute to each aspect a captured banner for Irae, a sack of coin or tax record for Avaritia, and a symbolic token of idleness or ruin for Acedia. Members are expected to live according to the cycle: wage war when strong, extract wealth without mercy, and indulge in luxury when secure while always fearing the inevitable slide into decline. Commoners are rarely welcomed except as servants or sacrificial symbols.

• Hierarchy:
  • High Orator or High Steward: A senior theological figure attached to a major court or dynasty.
    • Banner Priests: Ritual specialists for Irae, usually accompanying armies or commemorating conquest.
      • Coin-Readers / Tax Cantors: Clerics of Avaritia who oversee offerings, treasuries, and fiscal rites.
        • Keepers of the Still Stone: Custodians of ruins, collapsed halls, and ancestral decay, devoted to Acedia.
          • House Devotees: Lesser noble retainers who maintain private shrines and family observances.

Holdings:

Private noble estates, ruined castles maintained as monuments to Acedia, and opulent townhouses with hidden triptych shrines. No public temples exist worship is deliberately kept within elite circles to prevent persecution by the Curia faithful.

• Resources:

Vast personal wealth of noble patrons, collections of looted war banners and trophies offered to Irae, hoarded gold and jewels offered to Avaritia, and ancient ruined sites claimed as sacred to Acedia. Some noble houses maintain small private retinues of mercenaries blessed in the name of Irae.

• Doctrines:

Humanity once attempted to usurp heaven from Theo, prompting him to cast out his undesirable aspects. These became independent deities whose interplay governs mortal realms. All states rise through wrathful conquest ( Irae ), grow fat through greedy over taxation ( Avaritia ), and inevitably rot through slothful decline ( Acedia ). Since decline is inevitable, the wise noble enjoys Gaia's bounty now, oppresses the masses to fund that enjoyment, and wages war only to refill the coffers. Attempting to break the cycle is futile and heretical.

• Practices:

Daily or weekly offerings at private triptych altars: burning captured enemy banners before Irae's image, counting and displaying tax revenues before Avaritia, and ritually neglecting or defacing symbols of duty before Acedia. Feasts often culminate in public displays of wealth or staged decline rituals where servants are dismissed or luxuries are deliberately wasted.

• Traditions:

The Cycle Feast is held at irregular intervals when a noble feels the shift between aspects: A lavish banquet featuring war trophies, overflowing gold displays, and decadent entertainment, ending with the symbolic overthrow of a mock throne to honor Acedia.

Banner Consecration: Captured enemy standards are ritually burned or hung in shrines to feed Irae.

Tax Tithe: A portion of every harsh tax levy is ceremonially offered to Avaritia with prayers for continued prosperity.

• Pantheon:

Irae (Wrath – The Burning Conqueror): Embodied as a horned, flame-wreathed warrior in blackened armor standing atop fallen crowns and banners. Represents expansion through war and the glory of conquest.

Avaritia (Greed – The Hoarder): Depicted as a corpulent, richly robed figure clutching overflowing sacks of gold while peasants offer tribute. Symbolizes the ruthless extraction of wealth from the land and people.

Acedia (Sloth – The Decadent Sovereign): Shown as an obese, listless ruler slumped on a crumbling, vine-choked throne amid ruins and discarded weapons. Embodies the inevitable decline that follows excess and neglect of duty.

• Mythology:

When humanity rose in hubris to storm heaven, the god Theo cast out three aspects of himself he deemed flaws: his uncontrollable rage (Irae), his bottomless hunger for more (Avaritia), and his weariness with eternal vigilance (Acedia). Freed from Theo's wholeness, these three became gods in their own right. They do not war with one another but form an unbreakable cycle that mirrors every mortal realm.

Kingdoms that ignore this truth delude themselves; those that embrace it however cynically gain the favor of the Potent Three by accelerating the natural order. The faithful believe Theo himself watches in silent approval as his cast-out children prove the futility of perfection.

• Holy Sites: N/A ( The faith deliberately avoids centralized holy sites. Instead, noble houses maintain private shrines, and certain ancient ruined fortresses or overgrown palaces are revered as natural manifestations of Acedia )

Further Information

The Potent Three emerged among the fractious nobility of Hysperia in the centuries following the collapse of the Western Priman Empire and the fragmentation of the Shahidic conquests. As petty kingdoms rose and fell amid Ostermanni incursions, Merevingian pressures, and the lingering influence of the Curia and Shahid, some aristocrats grew weary of religions promising paradise, moral reform, or global unity.

They found comfort in a creed that not only explained repeated failure but sanctified their own excesses. The faith stands in direct opposition to Theosan religions (particularly the Curia), which the Potent Three's followers mock as worship of only Theo's acceptable remnants while ignoring his full nature.

They view Shahidic zeal as naïve utopianism doomed to the same cycle they willingly accelerate. By oppressing peasants to fund lavish lifestyles and constant border wars, the nobility unwittingly fulfills the prophecy of decline yet they interpret every revolt or collapse not as failure, but as further proof of the gods' truth.

In the current age of splintered empires, kingdoms and petty fiefdoms, The Potent Three continues to spread quietly among ambitious lords who see no point in building lasting legacies. Their mantra remains simple and bleak: "All things end in Acedia, therefore seize what you can while Irae still burns and Avaritia still smiles." Whether this philosophy will hasten the final decay of Hysperia and the wider world of Gaia or allow a particularly ruthless patron to temporarily dominate the region remains a matter of grim speculation among both adherents and their critics.

 

[Merchant Man]

-- Muhtim Alsufun Sultanate War Galley --​

Out of Character Information

• Category: Ship
• Image Credit: Deviantart - Under Black Sails
• Intent: To introduce the Muhtim Alsufun Sultanate War Galley as the Sultanate of Masyrpt's premier fast-attack ram vessel, that shatters enemy formations with devastating rams and boarding actions before the heavier ships of the main fleet close in
• Development Thread: Not Applicable
• Permissions: Not Applicable

General Information

• Name: Muhtim Alsufun Sultanate War Galley
• Classification: Galley Warship
• Affiliation: The Sultanate of Masyrpt
• Craftsman: The Sultanate of Masyrpt
• Availability: Limited (Available within a single realm)
• Materials: Seasoned cedar and oak timbers for the keel, hull, and decking; bronze plating and iron reinforcements along the waterline and ram; heavy linen canvas for the single square sail; hemp rigging and ropes; obsidian-inlaid paint for the sacred bow emblem.
• Tradable: No
• Customisable: No

Overview

• Length: 48 metres
• Width: 9 metres
• Height: 18 metres (from keel to masthead)
• Locomotion Type: Primary oar propulsion (single bank of 60 oars, 30 per side, rowed by trained free oarsmen or penal crews) supplemented by a single large square sail for long-distance transit
• Speed: High
• Maneuverability: High
• Crew: Minimum 80 (skeleton crew for transit); optimal 160 (100 rowers, 40 sailors and officers, 20 marine commanders)
• Passenger Capacity: Up to 50 additional boarding troops for short-duration assaults (standing room only on the raised fighting deck).
• Cargo Capacity: Low
• Weaponry: Heavy bronze-sheathed underwater ram at the prow; bronze grappling hooks, boarding ropes, and collapsible boarding planks stored along the rails.
• Defences: Reinforced oak hull with bronze strakes at the waterline; raised central fighting deck with protective wooden railings and shield lockers; shuttered oar ports that can be sealed against incoming fire.

Strengths

• Devastating Formation-Breaker: The long, low hull and weighted bronze ram allow the galley to slice through enemy lines at ramming speed, shattering oars, holing hulls, and creating gaps for the main Sultanate fleet to exploit, functioning exactly like skirmish infantry on water.
• Seamless Ram-to-Board Transition: Once the ram strikes, the high curved bow and abundant grappling gear enable immediate boarding by the marine complement, turning a single pass into a chaotic melee that disrupts command and control before heavier enemy vessels can react.

Weaknesses

• Oar-Dependent Vulnerability: With only a single large sail and reliance on rowers for combat speed, the galley becomes sluggish and exposed if oarsmen are killed or exhausted by sustained missile fire or magical interference; enemies can exploit this by concentrating archers or spellcasters on the exposed rowing benches.
• Limited Endurance in Heavy Seas: The low freeboard and open deck, while excellent for speed and boarding, make the vessel dangerously unstable in storms or long pursuits; prolonged exposure to rough water can swamp the lower oar ports or fatigue the crew beyond recovery, forcing retreat or surrender.

Further Information

The Muhtim Alsufun (literally "the Shipbreakers") were born in the shipyards during the final years of the Great Caravan Wars, when the Sultanate's older, heavier galleys proved too slow to counter fast-moving pirate and rival fleets raiding the coastal trade routes.

Designed under the guiding influence of the newly ascendant faith of Almuqddasayn, each war galley bears the sacred Obsidian Eye of Sannoyom painted boldly on the forward hull exactly as depicted symbolizing the deity's unblinking gaze that brings calculated ruin to the enemy.

The red-and-white emblem is ritually consecrated by Mizan Shaykhs before every voyage so that every successful ram earns Sannoyom's favour while the inevitable boarding slaughter is later balanced by acts of mercy or reconstruction once the battle is won, maintaining the sacred symmetry of the Level Scale.

Tactically, these vessels never fight alone; they operate in wolf-pack squadrons of six to twelve ships, striking first to break enemy cohesion, then withdrawing behind the protective screen of the Sultanate's larger sailing warships. Their crews, drawn from the merchant class and professional military converts to Almuqddasayn, train relentlessly in the Evening Recount, logging every ram and every boarding as paired deeds of light (victory and survival) and shadow (necessary destruction).

 

[Merchant Man]

-- Manjaniq al-Jamal Sultanate Medium Catapult --​

Out of Character Information

• Category: Siege Weapon
• Image Credit: Flow Image Creator
• Intent: To introduce the camel-pulled medium catapult as a mobile siege support weapon of the Sultanate of Masyrpt's forces, designed for rapid desert deployment during the Great Caravan Wars and afterwards.
• Development Thread: Not Applicable
• Permissions: Not Applicable

General Information

• Name: Manjaniq al-Jamal (Camel Catapult) – Sultanate Medium Catapult
• Classification: Catapult
• Affiliation: Sultanate of Masyrpt's
• Craftsman: Sultanate of Masyrpt's
• Availability: Limited
• Materials: Seasoned desert acacia and cedar timbers for the A-frame, throwing arm, and wheels; reinforced hemp ropes and pulleys for the traction mechanism; iron bolts, bronze fittings, and leather strapping for the camel harnesses; carved stone spheres or clay incendiary pots as standard projectiles.
• Magical: No
• Tradable: No
• Customisable: No

Overview

• Size: Large
• Weight: Heavy
• Damage Type: Bludgeoning (stone spheres) or incendiary/bludgeoning (fire pots)
• Damage Output: Average
• Recoil: Low
• Effective Range: Long (effective within approx. 50 to 250 metres)
• Ammunition Type: Carved stone spheres (primary) or sealed clay pots filled with pitch and naphtha (incendiary).
• Special Qualities: Not Applicable

Strengths

• Desert Mobility and Rapid Redeployment: Harnessed teams of four to six camels allow the entire engine to be pulled across sand dunes at marching speed, positioned for a barrage, then swiftly withdrawn behind friendly lines, perfectly matching the Sultanate's doctrine of strike and retreat without sacrificing the weapon to enemy advances.
• Formation Softening Support: Accurate long-range volleys of stone or fire projectiles disrupt enemy troop concentrations, shatter shield walls, and ignite supply lines, creating chaos for the main Sultanate infantry and cavalry to exploit once the lines are broken.

Weaknesses

• Camel Team Dependency: The weapon's mobility relies entirely on the health and temperament of its camel team; panicked or wounded animals can halt the catapult mid-repositioning, leaving it exposed as a stationary target for enemy archers or counter-battery fire.
• Slow Reload and Setup Time: While mobile once harnessed, the traction arm and rope system require several minutes to reset after each shot; during this window the crew and camels are vulnerable to fast-moving skirmishers or cavalry charges that close the distance before the next projectile can be launched.

Further Information

The Manjaniq al-Jamal was developed in the royal armories during the opening years of the Great Caravan Wars, well before the rise of Almuqddasayn and its philosophy of sacred symmetry. At the time, the Sultanate's older static siege engines proved too cumbersome for the fluid, hit-and-run desert campaigns against rival caravan lords and border raiders.

Engineers responded by mounting a proven medium catapult design on large spoked wheels and rigging it to teams of sturdy desert camels, exactly as depicted in military annals illustrations creating a weapon that could keep pace with fast-moving columns, deliver punishing volleys to soften enemy troops, and then be hauled back to safety within minutes when enemy resistance stiffened.

Tactically, these catapults never operated in isolation; they travelled in batteries of four to six, protected by light camel cavalry screens. Crews followed the era's pragmatic doctrine: loose a barrage to break formations and morale, then withdraw before the enemy could close or return fire with their own engines. Though conceived under the older Shadid traditions, many of these catapults remain in active service today, their simple, reliable design easily maintained in the desert heat.

-- Qaws al-Sultan War Ballista --​

Out of Character Information

• Category: Siege Weapon
• Image Credit: Flow Image Creator
• Intent: To introduce the Sultanate Ballista as a heavy torsion siege weapon of the Sultanate of Masyrpt's forces, designed for long-range precision fire during the Great Caravan Wars. It delivers devastating bolts to soften enemy formations, pick off key targets, combat flying enemies or damage light fortifications before the main army closes, while remaining on walls or prepared desert positions
• Development Thread: Not Applicable
• Permissions: Not Applicable

General Information

• Name: Qas al-Sultan War Ballista
• Classification: Ballista (heavy torsion siege crossbow)
• Affiliation: Sultanate of Masyrpt's
• Craftsman: Sultanate of Masyrpt's
• Availability: Limited
• Materials: Seasoned desert acacia and cedar timbers for the frame, arms, and tripod base; heavy bronze and brass fittings with gold inlays for the trigger housing, winch, and decorative crescent-moon motifs; iron torsion springs wrapped in sinew and leather; thick linen cord for the bowstring; ornate calligraphic blessings carved along the stock.
• Magical: No
• Tradable: No
• Customizable: No

Overview

• Size: Large
• Weight: Heavy
• Damage Type: Piercing
• Damage Output: High
• Recoil: Low
• Effective Range: Long (effective within approx. 50 to 250 metres)
• Ammunition Type: Heavy iron-tipped bolts or short javelins (approximately 1.5–2 metres long).
• Special Qualities: Not Applicable

Strengths

• Precision Anti-Personnel Fire: The torsion arms and calibrated winch allow accurate, high-velocity shots that can pierce chainmail, shields, or light wooden barricades at long range, making it ideal for picking off enemy officers, standard-bearers, or clustered infantry before they close with Sultanate lines.
• Versatile Siege Support: Bolts can be aimed at siege engines, supply wagons, or gatehouses, flying enemies, disrupting enemy advances or softening fortifications to create breaches for the main Sultanate army to exploit.

Weaknesses

• Slow Rate of Fire: The heavy winch and torsion reloading process requires several minutes between shots, leaving the crew and weapon vulnerable to counter-battery fire or fast-moving skirmishers during the reload cycle.
• Limited Mobility Once Emplaced: The sturdy tripod base provides excellent stability but makes rapid repositioning difficult; while it can be disassembled for camel or cart transport, the weapon performs best when pre-sited on walls or prepared field positions and cannot easily retreat under direct pressure.

Further Information

The Qaws al-Sultan was developed in the royal armories during the early years of the Great Caravan Wars.

The Sultanate's older static siege engines were too cumbersome for the fast-moving desert campaigns against rival caravan lords and border raiders; engineers responded by refining a proven heavy ballista design with ornate bronze-and-brass fittings and traditional crescent-moon emblems, exactly as depicted creating a weapon that could be transported in sections by camel trains, quickly reassembled on fortress walls or forward dunes, and deliver precise, armour-piercing bolts to shatter enemy cohesion from afar.

Tactically, these ballistae operated in batteries of three to five, protected by infantry screens and often paired with the camel-pulled Manjaniq al-Jamal catapults for combined barrages. Crews followed the era's pragmatic doctrine: loose measured volleys to break formations and morale, then hold position only as long as friendly forces maintained the line.

-- Qasr-Breaker Grand Trebuchet --​

Out of Character Information

• Category: Siege Weapon
• Image Credit: Flow Image Creator
• Intent: To introduce a heavy, long-range siege engine developed by the Sultanate of Masyrpt during the Great Caravan Wars, designed to dominate fortified cities from beyond counterattack range.
• Development Thread: Not Applicable
• Permissions: Not Applicable

General Information

• Name: Qasr-Breaker Grand Trebuchet (commonly called the "Sandfall Engine")
• Classification: Counterweight Trebuchet (Heavy Siege Engine)
• Affiliation: Sultanate of Masyrpt's
• Craftsman: Sultanate of Masyrpt's
• Availability: Limited
• Materials: Reinforced desert hardwood, bronze fittings, iron-banded counterweight chests, braided camel sinew rope, treated leather slings
• Magical: No
• Tradable: No
• Customizable: Yes
  • Sling length variations for range tuning
  • Counterweight mass adjustments
  • Reinforced arm bracing for heavier payloads
  • Fire-pot and alchemical payload configurations

Overview

• Size: Large
• Weight: Heavy
• Damage Type: Bludgeoning (primary), with potential fire or chemical damage depending on payload
• Damage Output: Extreme
• Recoil: High (significant structural stress and ground shock upon release)
• Effective Range: Distant (effective beyond 250 metres).
• Ammunition Type: Stones, masonry blocks, incendiary pots, alchemical containers, biological payloads
• Special Qualities: Not Applicable

Strengths

• Fortification Bypass: Designed to arc projectiles high above defensive walls, the Qasr-Breaker strikes targets deep within fortified cities. It renders traditional wall-based defenses less effective by shifting destruction inward.
• Long-Range Supremacy: Its massive counterweight allows it to outrange most conventional siege engines. When properly positioned, it can bombard a target while remaining outside effective retaliation range.
• Payload Adaptability: Capable of launching a wide range of ammunition, from solid stone for structural collapse to firepots for widespread urban fires, it excels in both physical and psychological warfare.

Weaknesses

• Misfire Hazard: Improper timing, worn rope, or uneven loading can result in catastrophic misfires. In rare but feared cases, the projectile may be released too early and launched backward into allied positions.
• Slow Operation Cycle: Each shot requires careful resetting of the counterweight and sling. This results in a slow rate of fire, giving defenders time to react, reposition, or mount countermeasures.
• Static Deployment: Once assembled, the trebuchet is effectively immobile. It requires full disassembly for relocation, leaving it vulnerable to flanking attacks or sabotage if not properly guarded.

Further Information

The Qasr-Breaker Grand Trebuchet was conceived during the height of the Great Caravan Wars, when the Sultanate of Masyrpt sought to break the stalemate of fortified trade cities controlling desert routes. Rather than focusing solely on breaching walls, Masyrpt's engineers developed a siege engine that would make those walls irrelevant.

Constructed from resilient desert hardwood and reinforced with iron and bronze, the trebuchet was designed for elevated deployment on dunes, ridges, or prepared siege platforms. From these vantage points, it could deliver devastating payloads into the heart of a city, collapsing infrastructure, igniting fires, and eroding morale long before any breach was attempted.

Despite its effectiveness, the engine carries a reputation among its crews. The immense forces involved demand precision and discipline, and even experienced operators treat each launch with caution. Stories from the Caravan Wars tell of misjudged releases that turned the weapon against its own side, a reminder that the Qasr-Breaker is as dangerous to mishandle as it is to face.

 

[Merchant Man]

-- Øernes Krig, Gamle Saga of Ignar Hessenson --​

Out of Character Information

• Objective: To chronicle the events of the War of the Isles as depicted in the Ancient Saga of Ignar Hessenson, detailing the jarl's raiding campaign against Albion and its dramatic conclusion.
• Category: Conflict
• Image Credit: Flow Image Creator
• Development Thread: Not Applicable
• Permissions: Not Applicable

General Information

• Name: Øernes Krig (War of the Isles)
• Classification: War, Invasion, Raiding Expedition
• Reference Link: Not Applicable since Ancient Battle
• Location: The isles of Soroyar and Utanreynar, the Province of Hafud in East Albion, culminating at the Village of Seringa. (Relevant to northern Albion coastal regions.)
• Date: 750 ME
• Participants: Jarl Ignar Hessenson of Skjoldrkliff and his Huscarls and Infantry aboard longships; the Fae prophet Entwine; King Rætsweald of East Albion and his royal army.

Overview

The War of the Isles was a short but intense raiding and conquest campaign led by the fearsome Jarl Ignar Hessenson from Skjoldrkliff against the lands of Albion. Accompanied by the Fae seer Entwine, Ignar's forces captured the isles of Soroyar and Utanreynar, established settlements, and then raided the Province of Hafud. The campaign ended with Ignar's defeat and death at the Battle of Seringa against King Rætsweald, leading to the retreat of his army.

Historical Information

-- Jarl Ignar Hessenson vs King Rætsweald
Battle of Seringa, East Albion -- ​

In the year approximately 750 ME, long after the death of Marloman the Great, Jarl Ignar Hessenson, a formidable warrior from the rugged lands of Skjoldrkliff, assembled a mighty host of Huscarls and infantry. Boarding their iconic longships, they set sail to plunder the wealthy lands of Albion. With him traveled Entwine, a Fae once held prisoner but who had become a trusted prophet, guiding the jarl's ambitions.

Under Entwine's counsel, Ignar's forces first seized the isles of Soroyar and Utanreynar, swiftly overcoming local resistance and establishing Norse-style settlements as bases for further operations. From these footholds, the raiders descended upon the Province of Hafud, where they raided and pillaged numerous Albion villages, amassing significant plunder intended for return to Skjoldrkliff.

Throughout the campaign, Entwine repeatedly warned Ignar of a mysterious figure known as the Lord of the Rats, prophesying that this individual would bring about the jarl's doom. Blinded by his successes and the apparent invincibility of his army, Ignar dismissed these warnings, believing no force could stand against his warriors.

The prophecy proved true when King Rætsweald of East Albion, likely the very "Lord of the Rats" foretold, marshaled a formidable army and confronted the invaders at the Village of Seringa. A fierce and intense battle ensued, with clashing steel and the roar of combat filling the air. Despite their ferocity, the Skjoldrkliff forces were ultimately repelled. Jarl Ignar Hessenson himself was struck down in a violent and decisive manner during the fighting.

Following the jarl's death, his body was carried back to the Province of Hafud and secretly buried in a dense forest to prevent desecration or exploitation by the victors. The remnants of his army retreated to the captured isles before eventually sailing back to Skjoldrkliff. Thus concluded the War of the Isles, a saga of ambition, prophecy, and ultimate downfall.

	King Rætsweald defeats Jarl Ignar Hessenson Battle of Seringa The decisive victory at Seringa solidified King Rætsweald's reputation as a defender of Albion. The battle not only halted the dreaded Jarl's incursion but also ensured that the settlements on Soroyar and Utanreynar did not lead to permanent conquest of the mainland.​
	Jarl Ignar Hessenson's Forgotten Runestone, at Hufad, Albion In the dense forests of Hafud (sometimes rendered as Harga), a runestone is said to mark the secret burial site of Jarl Ignar Hessenson. Over time, it has become forgotten and overgrown, serving as a somber reminder of the transient nature of glory and the fulfillment of prophecy.​

 

[Merchant Man]

His Imperial Divineness, Sultan Shueae Al'iilahin Altaw'amin of Masyrpt​

Out of Character Information

• Objective: To provide a comprehensive Annals NPC profile for Sultan Shueae Al'iilahin Altaw'amin, the current ruler of Masyrpt, detailing his background, personality, military ambitions, governance style, and visual representation for use in roleplay and world-building within the setting.
• Category: Human
• Image Credit: Flow Image Creator
• Development Thread: Not Applicable
• Permissions: Not Applicable

General Information

• Name: Sultan Shueae Al'iilahin Altaw'amin - Ray of the Twin Gods
• Aliases: The Lion of Masyrpt; the Green Sultan; Heir Aspirant of Marloman (self-styled in court rhetoric)
• Classification: Sultan of the Sultanate of Masyrpt
• Species: Human
• Affiliation:
• Magical: No

Overview

• Physical Description:

Sultan Shueae Al'iilahin Altaw'amin presents as a towering, broad-shouldered man of advanced age who still radiates martial authority and unyielding command. In his late sixties, he bears a long, flowing white beard that frames a stern face with piercing dark eyes and heavy brows. He is most often depicted in ornate emerald-green robes and kaftans richly trimmed with white fur, worn over layers of polished lamellar and plate armor.

A magnificent white turban crowned with a black tassel or plume completes his regal appearance, while an ornate curved shamshir (scimitar) hangs at his side. Whether dueling in a palace courtyard, towering over a vast army on a windswept battlefield at sunset, or presiding over a war council with maps spread before his generals, his presence is both imperial and intimidating.

• Age: 68 (circa 750 ME)
• Personality:

A shrewd and highly capable administrator who has strengthened Masyrpt through efficient governance and reform, Shueae is nevertheless quick to anger often erupting in calculated rages when he senses disloyalty, incompetence, or challenge to his vision. Deeply paranoid about coups and betrayal, he maintains an extensive spy network across his court and lands, coordinated through a complex, encrypted system of trusted messengers and relays.

He views himself as the destined successor to Marloman the Great, driving his relentless sponsorship of military expansion. Pragmatically, he keeps his harem small to avoid the dynastic infighting that destroyed earlier sultans, and he maintains iron control over it via a specially trained subclass of infantry raised from orphanages throughout the sultanate, boys indoctrinated from childhood to owe absolute loyalty solely to him.

• Languages: Hysperian Shahidic (Native); Qurṭamadan dialect and Classical Shahidic script (Fluent); Priman (Intermediate); Ostermanni trade tongues (Beginner)
• Possessions:

The royal seal of Masyrpt, extensive collections of military treatises and campaign maps of Hysperia and neighboring realms, encrypted ledgers documenting his spy network, and personal copies of Shahidic holy texts annotated with strategic notes.

• Utility Skills:

Masterful state administration and bureaucratic organization; advanced military logistics, supply-chain management, and long-term strategic planning; expert court intrigue, intelligence analysis, and diplomatic maneuvering.

• Special Qualities: Not Applicable

Combat Information

• Weaponry: Ornate master-crafted shamshir (curved scimitar) of office, occasionally supplemented by a spear or mace when personally leading charges.
• Defenses: Layered lamellar and plate armor worn beneath his signature green-and-fur robes; constant protection by his elite personal bodyguard of Orphan Wardens.
• Equipment: Command baton or scepter for signaling troops; personal banners and signal flags used to coordinate large-scale battlefield maneuvers.
• Attributes: Veteran battlefield commander who excels at directing vast armies from a commanding vantage point or, when necessary, fighting in the front ranks; favors disciplined, overwhelming-force tactics and the use of professional formations over reckless individual heroics.

Strengths

• Master Statesman: Exceptional administrative and military-organizational genius; his sponsorship of grand military works (fortifications, training programs, and professional armies) has turned Masyrpt into one of the strongest Shahidic successor states.
• Iron Spymaster: Unbreakable internal security through his vast spy network and the fanatically loyal Orphan Wardens infantry raised from orphanages and conditioned since childhood to serve only him making assassination or internal overthrow nearly impossible.
• Visionary Conqueror: Driven by a grand ambition to reunify the fractured Shahidic realms and become the true successor to Marloman the Great, he inspires his military and court with promises of glory, expansion, and restored imperial greatness.
• Seasoned Tactician: Decades of experience in border skirmishes, power struggles, and large-scale campaigns have honed his ability to read battlefields, coordinate combined arms, and execute decisive maneuvers even under pressure.

Weaknesses

• Paranoid Tyrant: Severe paranoia frequently triggers purges of suspected traitors (real or imagined), alienating talented advisors, nobles, and loyal generals and potentially creating the very enemies he fears most.
• Hot-Tempered Lion: Quick to anger, his explosive outbursts can impair calm judgment during crises, strain alliances, and cause him to act rashly on the battlefield or in council.
• Aging Warrior: At sixty-eight years old, his advanced age limits personal physical endurance in prolonged campaigns or duels, forcing greater reliance on subordinates who may harbor their own ambitions.
• Overreaching Ambition: His relentless drive for conquest risks overextending Masyrpt's resources and military reach, leaving the sultanate vulnerable to coordinated counterattacks from neighboring powers or internal exhaustion.

Historical Information

Born around 682 ME in the turbulent aftermath of the Shahidic Empire's dissolution following Marloman the Great's failed invasion of Hysperia in 714 ME and the subsequent fragmentation of the faithful, Shueae Al'iilahin Altaw'amin rose from relatively modest origins within one of the independent Shahidic city-states of the Qurṭamada cultural sphere. As a young officer he distinguished himself in border skirmishes and internal power struggles, demonstrating both administrative brilliance and ruthless efficiency.

By his early forties he had become a prominent general and vizier, implementing reforms that strengthened tax collection, infrastructure, and military readiness.

In his mid-fifties he seized the throne of Masyrpt through a carefully orchestrated combination of political maneuvering, military support, and the quiet elimination of key rivals. Now, at sixty-eight years of age (circa 750 ME), Sultan Shueae has transformed Masyrpt into a formidable military power.

He has poured vast resources into grand military projectsexpansive fortifications, expanded shipyards, new training academies, and the professionalization of his armies all in pursuit of his lifelong ambition: to reunify the fractured Shahidic realms under a single banner and become the true successor to Marloman the Great's empire of conquest.

His paranoia has forged an efficient, if oppressive internal intelligence apparatus that keeps the court and provinces under constant surveillance. At the same time, his pragmatic decision to limit and tightly control his harem through the specially trained Orphan Wardens has prevented the kind of deadly succession crises that plagued earlier rulers.

While admired by expansionist factions within the faithful for his vision and competence, he is feared by neighboring states and even some within his own nobility for his wrath and suspicion. As of the current era, Sultan Shueae continues to sponsor ever-greater military works while watching every shadow, determined that no one internal or external will deny him his place in history.